Homecoming by Heath Stallcup

Rachel fed, his feeble attempts to struggle weakening with each heartbeat. He looked at the top of her head and said nonchalantly, “They have a car, but it isn’t much of one. Still, it should get us where we need to go.”
    She lifted her head and offered him some of the old man. Damien shook his head. “I’m still full from last night. Besides, you need to keep your strength up.”
    Once the two were done, Damien fished the keys from the old man’s pocket and they pulled the antique Range Rover from the barn. It smelled of pipe tobacco and mildew, but it ran. For the roads they would be traveling, it was probably the best vehicle they could have stolen. He hoped that they wouldn’t need the spare can of fuel strapped to the rear bumper. The idea of losing any time and being stuck in the middle of nowhere when the sun came up did not appeal to him.
     

 
    5
     
     
    Laura sat nervously at the small table on the far side of the pool. She could hear the ocean behind her through the thick stand of bushes and knew that they were close to the water, but there was something about being so far away from the crowds of the bar and nearby restaurant that made her want to get up and run. She eyed the short, unassuming brunette sitting across from her and couldn’t help but wonder where all of the apprehension was coming from.
    “Ah, this is better, don’t you think? Less noise, fewer people. The smells alone in there were enough to almost make me sick.”
    Laura gave her a blank stare and toyed with the glass of soda. “I know it was my idea to go someplace else, but why did you pick here? So far away?”
    The young woman stared at her as if she were nuts. “Could you not smell all of them? The body odor, the spices they cook with, the alcohol, the pheromones…all of it. It was disgusting.”
    “Has your nose always been that sensitive?” Laura didn’t know why she was so curious. None of the other ‘wolves’ she had met had ever complained of such things.
    The young woman paused and considered her question. “No, actually, it hasn’t. Just since I got out of that military place. Ever since then, it’s like all of my senses have been on hyper alert.”
    Laura nodded and silently feared it might be a side effect of what Matt had told her of the two being ‘Fated Mates’, but she definitely didn’t want to lead into her discussion with that little point. “Well, here we are now.” Laura took a sip of her soda. “What would you like to know?”
    “First off, who are you and why the hell are your people so interested in me?” The angered stare she shot at Laura would have caught the bushes on fire had it missed her.
    Laura placed her glass on the table and sat back in her chair. “My name is Laura Youngblood. As you’ve deduced, I’m not a wolf.”
    “No shit.”
    Laura sighed slightly and continued, “But I work for one. And he’s the reason I’m here.”
    “The big oaf,” the dark haired woman said.
    Laura lowered her eyes and took a deep breath. “Look…uh…”
    “Jennifer,” she stated with narrowed eyes, “Jennifer Simmons.”
    “Look, Jennifer, the man I work for sent me to try to find you…”
    “And bring me back?” Her voice lowered nearly to a growl.
    Laura threw her hands up in surrender. “Do you want me to talk or do you want to keep interrupting me?”
    Jennifer slowly sat back and watched her with a guarded gaze. “Continue.”
    “Thank you.” Laura cleared her throat and took another sip of her soda. “As I was saying, Matt, he’s the guy I work for. He sent me to try to find you. He wants me to try to explain…this…huge misunderstanding.”
    “Misunderstanding?” Jennifer had finished her piña colada and set her glass on the table. “Are you serious? Do you realize that he’s the guy who shot me in the fucking face?”
    Laura’s hands were back up, and she was looking around to ensure nobody was listening in. “Yes, he told me about that. But that was ten